This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application 090222953, filed on Dec. 26, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunshade device, more particularly to one with a curved screen for blocking sunlight through a roof window in an automobile sunroof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sunshade is commonly used in an automobile for shielding an interior of the automobile from sunlight. A sunshade device for shielding an automobile sunroof is known in the art. The sunshade device of this type is typically mounted on the interior lining of the sunroof adjacent to a sun window mounted in the sunroof, and has a screen which is stretchable along a flat horizontal plane and which is disposed immediately beneath the roof window for blocking sunlight when stretched. In recent years, it has been a trend to make and design the automobile sunroof higher and slightly curved in a left-to-right direction. The above-described sunshade device, when mounted in the automobile with the higher and curved sunroof, forms a large clearance with the interior lining of automobile sunroof, and thus has a relatively poor light-blocking effect. Moreover,since the screen extends horizontally and since the automobile sunroof is curved, the sunshade device is not satisfactory in view of aesthetic considerations.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an automobile sunshade device with a curved screen to conform to the curvature of an automobile sunroof.
Accordingly, the sunshade device the present invention is adapted for mounting on an automobile sunroof with an interior lining. The sunshade device includes an elongated housing with longitudinally opposite end portions, a rotary shaft journalled in the housing, and a screen wound around the rotary shaft and having a connecting end secured to the rotary shaft, a distal end opposite to the connecting end and extending out of the housing, and an intermediate section between the connecting end and the distal end. The screen is movable between a retracted position in which the distal end is disposed adjacent to the housing, and a stretched position in which the distal end is moved away from the housing. An elongated screen guiding member is mounted in the housing, and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the rotary shaft, and a convex outer wall surface. The intermediate section of the screen extends along and is in contact with the convex outer wall surface of the screen guiding member such that the screen is curved and has a curvature conforming to that of the convex outer wall surface of the screen guiding member when extended past the screen guiding member. A curved end strip is mounted on the distal end of the screen, and has a curvature conforming to that of the convex outer wall surface of the screen guiding member.